Analysis - The kids cheered, the All Blacks cracked a few smiles and signed the autographs, but there was a bit of an edge to the test season launch on Tuesday. Held in the impressive main training hall of the NZCIS facility in Trentham, Scott Robertson's squad was rolled out - with a few additions to the original list.
Skipper Scott Barrett showed that his demeanour wasn't going to change much despite his new job role, sitting stony faced after the local school children were instructed to cheer every time his name was mentioned. That's no surprise or even criticism, Barrett has never played rugby to make friends and it wouldn't make sense for him to start now.
Already though, the conversation about his disciplinary record has begun, don't expect that to be going anywhere - especially since they're playing England first up.
But what was a surprise was seeing Sam Cane walk in. His name was on the list of players not considered due to injury in the initial squad announcement, which was mostly read as a way of deflecting any questions over whether he was in Robertson's plans. But there he was, looking like being down the back of the pack was going to take a bit of getting used to for the former captain.
Cane's sitting on 95 tests but just how many more he can add to that is now a pretty interesting conversation. From a rugby point of view, it does make sense to have him around, but given how much of a fresh new vibe Robertson has brought to the All Blacks, does it make much from a wider perspective?
TJ Perenara speaks with RNZ's Joe Porter. Photo: Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz
Certainly, no one is begrudging Cane. But Dalton Papali'i and Luke Jacobson are in the battle to be wearing the number seven jersey next weekend, with the Blues man probably having the inside running. Just how comfortable Cane feels holding tackle bags and essentially saying a long goodbye to the team he captained for four tumultuous years remains to be seen.
Josh Lord and Ruben Love were also part of the squad, with the perennially injured Chiefs lock not even on the list of players not considered. However, it's no real surprise he's there after playing four tests over the last two seasons. Lord will likely come straight back into the squad at some point given the amount of work new captain Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu are going to have to get through before the All Blacks even head to South Africa.
Love being there is no great shock either, the preference of Stephen Perofeta over him must have been an exceptionally tight call and one that was probably just tilted by the Blues fullback's experience at first five.
If nothing else, the extra men on the stage was a signal that the expected attrition rate from this first campaign under Robertson is expected to be high. Injuries are nothing new, but to see what the coach's contingency plans are really hammered home just how tough 14 tests in one season are going to be.
